Locomotive grate support



y 22, 1934- A. E. LE GARE 1,960,018

LOCOMOTIVE GRATE SUPPORT Filed Dec. 26. 1929 porting the same and Patented May 22, 1934 NHTED STATES PATENT OFFIE Arthur E. Le Gare, St

General Steel Louis, Mo., assignor to Castings Corporation, Granite City, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application December 2 Claims.

My invention relates to steam locomotives and particularly to means for supporting the grates, the ash pan and associated structure and includes a novel ash pan and means for supthe grate.

It has been common construction to provide the ash pan with substantial openings through which. a grate supporting bar projects to rest upon the frame of the locomotive or truck. The

10 grate and its support elements have some moveaiiords ment relative to the ash pan due to the expansion of the grate, mud ring, and boiler when heated. Hence the openings in the ash pan have been large enough to accommodate this relative movement. Such openings are objectionable in that they permit live coals to fall out of the ash pan and create a fire hazard to trestles, other frame structures and dry grass that the locomotive passes over.

It is an object of my invention to avoid this objection by supporting the grate on an imperforate ash pan and constructing the ash pan so that it will sustain this additional weight. Preferably, I utilize a cast steel ash pan which maximum strength with minimum weight and bulk.

A further object of my invention is to support the grate and ash pan on the locomotive frame or truck frame and, preferably, in a manner which will facilitate relative movement of the grate and pan and frame longitudinally of the locomotive.

These and other objects are attained by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is half of a top view of the ash pan, mud ring and associated structure of a locomotive equipped with my invention, parts of the grate being broken away to show parts of the underlying structure.

Figure 2 is a side view of the same.

Figure 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1. 1

Figure 4 is a side sectional view taken on the line 44 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a transverse section of a modified form of my invention.

Figure 6 is a transverse section of another modification.

The rear driver of the locomotive is indicated at D and a trailer truck wheel at T. The locomotive or truck frame element F will be mounted on the wheels in any ordinary manner and will carry the fire box mud ring 1 in the usual manner.

6, 1929, Serial No. 416,574

The ash pan is suspended from the mud ring by spaced brackets 3 bolted to the mud ring and the ash pan apron 2 at intervals.

The side aprons 2 and the hopper portions 17 of the ash pan are connected by sloping side walls 4, each of which has a portion 5 offset from the remainder of the wall and extending inwardly to form a horizontal shelf. A cross bar 6 extends transversely of the ash pan and is supported at its ends upon shelves 5, being bolted thereto as indicated at 7. The grate bars 8 are carried upon suitable brackets 9 secured to the mud ring and upon a grate center frame member 10, the ends of which are secured to the mud ring direct or by means of the ends of the ash pan and the intermediate portion of which is bolted to cross bar 6.

This construction provides a center support for the grate without any openings in the ash pan and, for certain equipment, no additional supporting elements will be required. However, where heavy grates or other conditions make it advisable, I can support the ash pan and grate center frame upon the locomotive or truck frame F as indicated in Figure 3 by the shoe 11 shown as attached to the frame directly beneath shelf 5 and serving to slidably support the latter so that the ash pan can move relative to the frame when necessary. In this construction, it is advisable to have the bearing surfaces of the ash pan and shoe parallel with the mud ring so that expansion or contraction of the mud ring will not disturb the interengagement of the supporting elements.

In the modification illustrated in Figure 5, the intermediate portion of the ash pan 12 does not rest directly on the frame F and the surface of the horizontal portions of the ash pan need not parallel the mud ring 13 as it does not engage the frame. In this modification, the ashpan supports the; transverse bar 14 and the grate center frame member 18 which in turn carries the inner ends of the grate bars 15. The ashpan is carried by the spaced hangars 16 depending from the mudring 13 at intervals.

While the horizontal shelf feature is a preferred construction, it will be understood that my invention may be embodied broadly in an ash pan having its side walls sloping throughout and in which the grate supporting cross bar has its ends inclined to fit the ash pan wall. This form is shown in Figure 6 in which transverse bar 19 has inclined end portions 20 which rest against and are secured tothe sloping side walls of the ashpan. The structure in other frame member, whereby said ashpan respects corresponds to that shown in Figure 5.

Of course, the shoe 11 might be secured to the ash pan instead of to the frame in the structures shown in Figures 1 to 4, inclusive and either the shoe or the frame or the ash pan could be provided with a renewable wear plate so that a desired spacing or elevation could be maintained.

Obviously, many other details of my invention may be modified without departing from the spirit of my invention and I contemplate the exclusive use of all such modifications as come Within the scope of my claims.

I claim:

1. In combination in a locomotive, a firebox member, an ash pan member, a frame member, and a shoe between said ash pan member and said frame member and slidably engaging one of said members, said ash pan member being supported by said frame member by means of said shoe, and said ashpan member being connected to said firebox member to move therewith.

2. In combination, a mud ring, an ash pan member having a plurality of vertically spaced horizontal surface portions, and a grate supporting bar, said member being carried by said mud ring at the higher of said horizontal portions and said bar being supported by said member at others of said horizontal portions and independently of said ring.

3. In combination in a locomotive, a frame member, a mud ring, and an ash pan secured to said mud ring and slidably mounted on said may move relative to said frame member.

4. In a locomotive, a firebox member having grate supporting elements, frame members, wearing shoes on said frame members, an ashpan carried by said firebox and bearing against said shoes, and a grate supporting bar carried by said ashpan immediately adjacent its points of bearing on said shoes.

5. In a locomotive, firebox foundation elements arranged for supporting the ends of grates, frame members, an ashpan supported in part by said elements and in part by said members, and a grate supporting bar seated against the inside wall of said ashpan at points immediately adjacent its points of support on said frame members.

6. In a locomotive, a fire box mud ring, a frame member, and an ashpan carried by said mud ring and said member, said ashpan being rigidly secured to said mud ring and slidably mounted on said frame member.

'7. In a locomotive, a mud ring having elements for mounting grates, a frame member, an ashpan carried by said mud ring and said member, said ashpan being rigidly secured to said mud ring and slidably mounted on said frame member, and a grate support member carried by said ashpan at points spaced from said mud ring.

8. In combination, a locomotive fire box foundation member, an ash pan supported thereby, and a grate supporting element supported at its ends by said member and intermediate its ends by said ash pan.

9. In combination, a locomotive fire box foundation member, an ash 'pan supported therefrom, a bar supported entirely by said ash pan, and a grate supporting element supported at its ends by said member and supported intermediate its ends by said bar.

10. In combination, a locomotive fire box foundation member, an ash pan supported therefrom, a bar supported by said ash pan independently of said member, a grate frame member supported intermediate its ends by, said bar, and grate elements overlying said pan and supported at their outer ends by said member and at their inner ends by aid frame member.

11. In combination, a locomotive ash pan having sloping side Walls with oppositely disposed horizontal shelf portions, elements adjacent the upper edges of said walls for attachment to a fire box member, and a grate supporting bar extending across said ash pan, and resting on said shelves.

12. In combination in a locomotive, a fire box foundation member, a frame beneath said member, an ash pan carried by said member and said frame, a bar carried by said ash pan at points spaced from said member, an element on said bar, and a grate structure carried in part by said member and in part by said element.

13. In combination, a locomotive fire box foundation member, an ash pan supported thereby, a grate frame supporting device intermediate 11'.

the sides of said member and carried by said ash pan, and a grate structuresupported at its ends by said member and supported intermediate its ends by said device.

14. In combination in structure, a mud ring, an ash pan secured to said mud ring and slidably mounted on said frame structure whereby said ash pan may move relative to said frame structure, grate support members carried by said mud ring, grate support members carried by said ash pan at points spaced from said mud ring, and grate elements carried on said grate support members.

15. In a locomotive, the combination of a frame member, an ash pan and a grate support bar, a restricted portion of said ash pan being directly over and supported by a part of said frame member and said restricted portion also seating said grate support bar.

ARTHUR E. LE GARE.

a locomotive, a frame 

